CECAN Fellowship: Using participatory systems mapping and fuzzy cognitive mapping to explore intersectional narratives in sustainable transitions: Cycling as a case study
The fellowship aims to address two key challenges. First, it will explore how participatory systems mapping (PSM) can be used to explore and highlight the lived experience of marginalised genders – specifically women and nonbinary people – cycling in Glasgow. As part of my ongoing PhD research, I have engaged with 40 women and nonbinary people, and co-produced 11 systems maps on the gender-specific barriers and needs to increase cycling in Glasgow. This will be the foundation for this fellowship, which seeks to address how this lived experience can be leveraged to highlight and share diverse narratives within sustainable transitions, such as in the area of mobility.
Second, the fellowship will investigate how PSM can be expanded with fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM), using an intersectional approach. This approach will help capture the nuanced differences within marginalised genders and identify where leverage points for intervention may diverge with the potential to develop a toolkit on how to translate insights from PSM and FCM into clear, policy-relevant, and actionable recommendations without sacrificing complexity, depth, or nuance.
About Kassandra
Kassandra Moosbrugger is a PhD candidate in the Living Lab Project GALLANT at the University of Glasgow. GALLANT is a NERC-funded, interdisciplinary University-City partnership to explore solutions for a climate-resilient Glasgow. Kassandra is based in the Active Travel Work Package within GALLANT, and her research focuses on the gender gap in cycling, exploring systems thinking for sustainable transitions research and fuzzy cognitive mapping. She is very passionate about contributing to a gender-equitable cycling future. Her background is diverse; from applied languages to cultural studies, communication, social data science, and sociology. She has been awarded a BA (Hons) in Languages, Intercultural Communication and Marketing Management from Edinburgh Napier University, and a Master of Science by the University of Edinburgh in Data, Inequality and Society. She also likes to explore different ways of communicating research and having an impact, such as through her podcast Spinning Stories.
